Self-cleaning side-dump underfeed-furnace



A. H. BLACKBURN AND W. E. DE VOE.

SELF CLEANING SIDE DUMP UNDERFEED FURNACE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 29. 1919.

1,372,267, Patented Mar. 22, 1921.

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APPLICATION FILED MAR. 29, I919.

Patented Mar. 22, 1921.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARIHUR H. BLACKBURN, OF. DOWNERS GROVE, AND WILLIAM EVANS DE VOE, OF

CHICAGO HEIGHTS, ILLINOIS,. ASSIGNOES TO THE UNDERIEED S'I'OKER COM- PANY OF AMERICA, -O13 CHICAGO. ILLINOIS, CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

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Patented Mar. 22,1921.

Application filed March 29, 1919. Serial No. 286,105.

Our invention relates to self-cleaning,- side-dumping underfeed furnaces, and has for its general Object to make provision for effecting automatically the feeding action.

of tiltable floor elements of such a furnace.

In the applications filed jointly by the within named Arthur H. Blackburn "and one Frank E. Fleming, Serial Nos. 262,252 and 262,251, both filed November 12, 1918, there are described underfeed furnace structures involving the use of tiltable side-floor elements, which structures may advan tageously be the basis for application of the present invention. This invention may however be applied to other specific floor structures having rocking elements.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is. a side elevation with parts broken away showing fragments of an underfeed furnace embodying our present invention; Fig. 2 is an end view with parts broken away Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail section, taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 11s a detail of the ram-arm, and Fig. 5 shows a simplified form of motion In the furnace construction herein shown, having a longitudinal retort and a side wall 11, a down-sloping floor structure 12 extends from the retort to the ash disposal means 13 adjacent the side-wall. This floor structure includes two courses or sections of tiltable elements, both pivotally mounted near their outer edges so that as they are rocked their free edges rise and thereby tend to feed the fuel-and-ash load, or a portion thereof, laterally toward the ash-disposal means. In the specific embodiment shown the partition beam 14, (dividing the central wind-box from theside ash-pit), together a with its associated brackets and frame bars, afford a supporting grating in which are mounted the inner course 15 of tiltable twyer-blocks and the outer course 16 of tiltable floor plates. These tiltable elements are respectlvely plvoted adjacent their outer edgeson longitudinal shafts 17 and l8,-so

that as they are rocked from normal position their lateral inclination is accentuated. The twyer-block section 15has a sloping portion 19 to form a retort-lip provided with the twyers 20 opening toward the retort, and the two 'floor sections 15 and 16 are provided with arcuate skirts 21 and 22 for maintain-1 mg a substantial approximation of contact with, respect vely, the retort and the pivoted ed e of the inner section.

ock shafts 23 and 24: for the inner and I outer sectlons, extend lengthwise of framemember 14, and these are connected, by

. crank 25 and link 26, and by crank 27 and link 28, respectively, to'the free edges of the inner and outer floor sections, as best shown in Fig. 2. For the purposes of the present construction the cranks 25 and 27 are disposed .on opposite sides of their respective shafts, so thatclockwise movement of shaft 24:, and counterclockwise movement of the shaft 23, are requisite for elevating the free edges of the respective floor sections. These shafts extend through the front wall and plate structure 30 of the furnace.

The retort, as best shown in Fig. 1, is preferably of horizontal type, and'fuel is fed therelnto, (to be pushedaxially along the retort and, by virtue of the pressure and re-- sistances, to be spilled laterally fro m the open top of the retort,)' by a reciprocating ram. In the construction shown, the ram 31 works in an open-ended cylinder 33 that receives fuel, when the ram is retracted, from the hopper 34: in the usual way, so that on the in-stroke of the ram the fuel may be forced through the end opening into the retort. Suitable power devices are employed to drive the ram, as typified by the power shaft connections 36 which worm-drive a crank wheel 37 which drives the connecting rod 38 for the ram, causing it tov make its strokes all of a uniform length.

In such'an installation we mount below the cylinder and power mechanism, a means operable by the ram for rockin a shaft transversely extending outside 0 the furnac'e. In the construction shown in Figs. 1 to 3, we mount on any suitable support, the two alining sprocket wheels 40 and 41, over which runs the operatin band. 42. This band comprises two sproc et engaging portions of chain, as at 43, an adjusting turnbuckle 44, and a horizontal top course formed of a threaded rod 45 on which are adjustably mounted the two stop nuts 46. Between these stop nuts the rod 45 is encircled by an arm 47 extending down from the ram 31 through a suitable slot in the underside of the cylinder. This arm is preferably made integral with a ring 48. open-centered to surround connecting-rod 38 and fitting within a flange 31' of ram 31 so that screws 48' above and below the ringcenter may secure the ring very rigidly in place against the ram-shoulder at the base of flange 31'. The cross shaft 49- for sprocket 40 receives bearing in bracket 50. and extends laterally to terminate approximately below the rockshaft 24. To its extremity shaft 49 has secured a crank head 51 extending on both sides of the shaft and diametrically slotted as at 52, the slot being T-shaped in section to receive a headed bolt 53 that forms a crank pin, this pin being surrounded by an end-flanged spacing collar 54 and provided with a clamping nut 55 so that the crank pin may be rigidly locked .in any position of adjustment either coincident with the center of the shaft or eccentric' thereto on either side, thereby affording a crank of variable throw. The collar of the said crankpin has pivotal connections with link 56 which connects at its other end with a crank 57 integral with, and extending oppositely to, a gear segment 58 that is tightly mounted on inner rock shaft 23, such segment 58 engaging a segment 59 on the outer rock shaft 24. Preferably the segment 58 connected to the shaft for the inner rocking twyer blocks is of considerably greater radius than the segment connected to the outer floor sections, so that for any given throw imparted to the link 56, the angular rocking of the outer floor sections will be materially greater than the angular displacement of the inner twyer-block sections.

The construction on both sides of the retort being identical, only one set of connecting devices has been described. In many instances we prefer to use, in lieu of the above-described.connection for motion transmission from ram-arm 47 to rock-shaft 49, the arrangement shown in Fig. 5. Crank In operation, the uniform-throw reciprocating ram feeds fuel into the retort in usual way, so that the fuel will be spilled laterally over the surface of the tiltable twyer blocks 15, and said ram also serves automatically to rock the shafts 23 and 24 by which the inner and outer sections of the floor structure are operated. By throwing the connection of the link 56 to one side of the axle of shaft 48, the tiltable sections may be made to lift during the in-stroke of the ram, and by reversal of such crank connections, to lift during the out-stroke of the ram, at which time the coal-load is not being moved. The lifting action may be varied in extent, or dispensed with, by either adjusting the variable throw crank e. the connections of the crank pin with its disk slot 52), or by varying the amount of lost motion permitted between connecting arm 47 and the cooperating motion transmitter 42 or 42'. It will be observed that the outer section of the movable floor, which preferably has a broader supporting surface than the inner section, is given a greater angular displacement than is the inner section. which in this instance is a series of rocking twyer blocks, so that the feeding action is accentuated with respect to the outer section of the floor on which the fuel is most nearly consumed.

While the particular application and embodiment of our invention in specific form is herein described in detail and may be claimed herein for their particular advantages. it will be understood that it is not intended to limit the invention, in its broader aspects to the specific floor structure shown or the specific details of construction other than as set forth in the claims, but, on the contrary, that changes in detail may be made, without departure from the spirit of the invention, within the scope of the appended claims.

What w claim is:

1. In an underfeed stoker, the combination with a retort, a tilting floor structure alongside the retort, automatically 0 )erated. uniform-throw, reciprocating fee ing means for propelling fuel into the retort, and motion converting means driven by said fuel feeding means operating said tilting floor structure and adjustable to vary the extent of motion imparted to said floor structure.

2. In an underfeed furnace, the combination of a retort, reciprocable means having a definite length of throw for feeding fuel to said retort, floor sections involving tiltable elements flanking said retort, and means for rocking said floor sections autonnltically operated in timed relation to said reciprocating means and adjustable in extent of effective throw.

3. In an underfeed stoker, the combination of -a retort, uniform-throw reciprocating fuel-feeding means for said retort, floor sections involving tiltable elements flanking said retort, a rock shaft, means operated by said feeding means and adjustable in throw for imparting any desired degree of rocking motion to said shaft, and operating connections between said rock shaft and said tiltable floor elements. 7

4. The combination with a retort and fuel feeding means therefor, of a floor structure alongside the retort comprising plural courses of rocking members tiltable laterally to feed fuel-and-ash laterally, said rocking members having respective longitudinal rock shafts, gear segmentsof different radii operatively connecting'said rock shafts, and means operated by the fuel feeding means for rocking one of said rock shafts.

5. The combination with a retort and fuel feeding means therefor, of a floor structure comprising plural courses of rocking members tiltable to feed fuel laterally, said rocking members having respective rock shafts, means operatively connecting said rock shafts to work in unison, and means oper ated by the feeding means for driving one of said rock shafts with variable throw, said means including a variable-throw crank.

6. The combination with a retort and fuel feeding means therefor, of a floor structure comprising plural courses of rocking-members tiltable to feed fuel laterally, said rocking members having respective rock shafts, means operatively connecting said rock shafts to work in unison, and means operated by the feeding means for driving one of said rock shafts with variable throw, said means including an adjustable lost motion connection.

7. The combination with a retort and fuel feeding means therefor, of a floor structure comprlsing plural courses of rocking members tiltable to feed fuel laterally, said rocking members having respective rock shafts, gear segments operatively connecting said rock shafts, and means operated by the feeding means for driving one of said rock shafts with variable throw, said means including an adjustable lost-motion connection and a variable throw crank.

8. In an underfeed stroker, the combination with the retort and automatic feeding tion with a retort and a reciprocating feeding ram, of a side floor structure including inner and outer courses of tiltable members, having respective rock shafts, segmental gears operatively connecting said rock shafts, a link crank-connected to one of said rock shafts, an adjustable crank connected to the opposite end of said link, a rock shaft for operating said adjustable crank, and means connecting saidlastmamed rock shaft and ram for oscillation of the shaft with the reciprocations of the ram.

10. In an underfeed stoker, the combination with a retort and a reciprocating feeding ram, of a side floor structure including inner and outer courses of laterally tiltable members, having respective longitudinally extending rock shafts, segmental gears operatively connecting said rock shafts, a link crank-connected to one of said rock shafts, a crank connected to the opposite end of said link, a rock shaft for operating said crank, and means connecting said last-named rock shaft and ram for oscillation of the shaft with the reciprocation of the, ram, said means comprising a member operatively connected with said last named rock shaft and extending beneath the ram and a connection from the ram to said member.

11. In an underfeed stoker, the combination with a retort and a reciprocating feeding ram, of a side floor structure including inner and outer courses of laterally tiltable members, having respective longitudinally extending rock shafts, segmental gears operatively connecting said rock shafts, a link crank-connected to one of said rock shafts, a crank connected to the opposite end of said link, a rock shaft for operating said crank, and means connecting said last-named rock shaft and ram for oscillation of the shaft with the reciprocation of the ram, said means comprising a member operatively connected with said last-named rockshaft and extending beneath the ram and a con nection from the ram to said member, said member resting on the connection loosely and having adjustable stops to permit lost motion of the connection.

12. In an underfeed stoker, a cylinder, a ram therein, driving means for the ram, a part below the ram to be driven thereby, and a connection between said ram and the part therebelow comprising an arm extending through an opening in the cylinder and a ring integral therewith, said ram being recessed to provide an apertured flange within which the ring fits and through the aperture of which the arm extends, and fastening screws securing the ring against the bottom of said recess.

ARTHUR H. BLACKBURN. WILLIAM EVANS DE VOE. 

